Quotes

“Collection of my favorite quotes”

“For one who thinks that these blossoms should be permanent this may seem tragic, but for someone who understands that change – the continuous arising and falling of existence–is the very nature of existence, the joy of seeing the beautiful blossoms is not destroyed by their falling.” – John M. Koller (The Indian Way)

“Whenever I write a book I try to go on a silent retreat. Not to get rid of distractions. To get rid of me!” – James Altucher

“I agree. My life is narrow. From one perspective or another, all our lives are narrow. Only when lives are placed side by side do they seem larger.” – D.J. Waldie

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms, or books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke (Letters to a Young Poet)

“Search for the cause, find the impetus that bids you write. Put it to this test: Does it stretch out its roots in the deepest place of your heart? Can you avow that you would die if you were forbidden to write? Above all, in the most silent hour of your night, ask yourself this: Must I write? Dig deep into yourself for a true answer. And if it should ring its assent, if you can confidently meet this serious question with a simple, ‘I must,’ then build your life upon it.” – Rainer Maria Rilke (The Middle of Things)

“There is no greater joy for me than to find, on self examination, that I am true to myself.” – Mencius

“He who looks outside dreams, he who looks within awakens.” – Carl Jung

“When we lose our balance we die, but at the same time we also develop ourselves, we grow. Whatever we see is changing, losing its balance. The reason everything looks so beautiful is because it is out of balance, but its background is always in perfect harmony.” – Shunryu Suzuki (Zen’s Mind beginner’s Mind p14).

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted

Can a man be brave if he’s afraid? That’s the only time one can be brave.

“When we lose our balance we die, but at the same time we also develop ourselves, we grow. Whatever we see is changing, losing its balance. The reason everything looks so beautiful is because it is out of balance, but its background is always in perfect harmony.” – Shunryu Suzuki (Zen’s Mind beginner’s Mind p14).

Fan Chi’ih asked about wisdom. The master said “to work for the things the common people have a right to and to keep one’s distance from the gods and spirits while showing them reverence can be called wisdom.’

Fan Chi’ih asked about benevolence. The master said, ‘The benevolent man reaps the benefit only after overcoming difficulties. That can be called benevolence.”

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Hi I'm Sam! I'm from San Francisco, California and am currently a sophomore at Swarthmore College interested in Computer Science, Philosophy, and Religion. On campus I sing in the choir, give massages to stressed students, and lift weights. You can catch me crawling the interwebs or writing about positive psychology, self improvement, and my college experience on my blog (samshih.me)